Elections and Voting

1. Elections and Voting

2. Election Day USA • Federal elections are held on the first Tuesday in November of every even numbered year • Each federal election we vote for our Representatives and 1/3 of the Senators • Every 4 years we vote for President

3. Elections • Primary Elections • Purpose: to determine who will represent the party in the General election • Ex: Hillary Clinton v. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination • General Elections • Purpose: vote between the nominees of the different party • Ex: John McCain (R) v. Barack Obama (D)

4. Open and Closed primaries • Closed primary: • Only registered party members can vote • Open primary: • Any registered voter can vote, regardless of party • Runoff: • In most states, a candidate needs a plurality • In some, candidate needs a majority

5. The National Conventions

6. How does the National Convention work? • Delegates from state parties meet to choose a Presidential candidate • In modern times, there is little suspense as the state primaries have already made it clear who the nominee will be

7. “No, people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice.” --- Barack Obama delivering the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Mass Flashback: OBAMA for President in 2008???

8. Campaigning • Canvassing • Door to door or telephone contact with potential voters • Done mainly by volunteers • Purposes • Identifying supporters • ‘Get out the Vote’ • Explaining positions • Signing up new members

9. Campaign Financing • Where does the money come from? • Small individual contributions • Wealthy individuals and families • The candidates • Ross Perot spent $65 million of his own $$$ • Political Action Committees (PACs) • Parties • Fundraisers, internet requests, direct mail, etc.

10. Campaign Finance Reform • The Federal Election Commission oversees the following: • Disclosure: candidates must tell where money came from • Limits on contributions ($2100 for individual)

11. Lobbyists • Def: Lobbyists are employed by Special Interest Groups to influence lawmakers to vote for or against legislation • The name came from the fact that they worked in the lobbies of Congress • There are many rules that regulate what lobbyists can and cannot do • Biggest criticism: they have too much influence on lawmakers

12. Voters and Voting Behavior • Def: Electorate • The electorate is defined as all eligible registered voters • Def: Absentee Voting • If you will be out of your voting area on election day, you can file an absentee ballot

13. What influences how people vote? • In general: • Education • Less = D More = R • Gender • Female = D Male = R • Race • White = R Af Am = D Lat = ?? • Income • Lower = D Higher = R • Religion • Protestant = R Catholic, Jewish = D • Geography • South = R Northeast = D West Coast = D Heartland/West = R Midwest = ???

14. 2008 Presidential Election

15. 2008 Presidential: Another view

16. Who Votes?

17. Why do some people choose NOT to vote? • The United States suffers from voter apathy:

18. But there are some encouraging signs…

19. The Media and Elections • Public Opinion: attitudes held by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics

20. How is public opinion formed? • Family • Fundamental attitudes, including religion • Schools • First ‘outside’ influence • Media • What a person sees and reads • Peers • What are the attitudes of your friends and colleagues? • Opinion Leaders • Well known people, Celebrities, etc. • History • Ex: The Great Depression, 9/11

21. How is public opinion measured? • Elections • Polling • Relies on a random sample of responses • How reliable are polls? • If questions worded properly, they are fairly accurate • What purpose do they serve during campaigns? • They inform the candidates of how well they are doing and what issues are most important to the voters

22. 3 Special elections • Initiatives • Ideas that come from the public and are voted on during elections • Referendums • Ideas that come from lawmakers that are voted on directly by the public • Recalls • A special election called to remove an elected official from office

23. The Electoral College • The framers created the electoral college because they were afraid voters would be uninformed on national elections • How does it work? • Each state has a set number of electoral votes (# of Reps + # of Senators) • Whichever candidate gets the most votes in a state gets ALL of the electoral votes • You need 270 to win • If no one gets 270, the House of Representatives picks the President

24. The Big Question… • Do we still need the electoral college? • Many argue that with modern elections and vote counting, the person who earns a plurality of the votes should win • Candidates don’t campaign in states they don’t think they can win • What do you think?